The present invention is directed at providing a cooking apparatus which is sufficiently versatile to enable deep frying large/heavy objects such as turkeys, while also providing for steaming and boiling of other food items without introducing added component requirements and the need to assemble multiple components. The present invention is also directed at facilitating the draining of cooking fluid from a cooking basket and/or a pot in which the cooking fluid is provided.
There exist a variety of cookware, both indoor and outdoor, for deep frying, steaming and boiling food items. Deep frying large poultry items such as whole turkey with an outdoor cooking apparatus has gained in popularity as a way of cooking which is both quicker than baking and less susceptible to drying out the food. Outdoor cooking apparatus often include a stock pot which is received on a gas (e.g., propane) cooker stand. In deep frying a whole turkey, a pot that is sufficiently sized to receive a whole turkey is utilized in conjunction with a sufficient level of cooking oil. To avoid exposure to the oil (e.g. splashing or actual contact), turkey securement arrangements have been developed.
Examples of turkey securement arrangements for deep frying turkey cooking apparatus can be found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,896,810 and 5,813,321. U.S. Pat. No. 5,896,810 describes a perforated turkey support plate with underlying legs to lift the bottom of the supported turkey off the bottom of the pot and a central turkey skewer rod having an upper end lifting loop for hooking engagement with a grab hook. This cooking approach is limited to deep frying a skewered turkey slid down along the skewer rod. Thus, this device is one dimensional and does not provide a system which provides for steaming or boiling other types of food items (e.g., steaming shelled seafood). Also, having to skewer a turkey requires a large degree of undesirable food handling and can be difficult when dealing with a not entirely thawed turkey or one not having a sufficiently sized or oriented through passage.
The cooking apparatus in U.S. Pat. No. 5,813,321 is described as being capable of performing either a deep fat frying or steaming function. A frame structure having a turkey penetrator and a pair of vertical members for hook attachment is provided for lifting and dropping a turkey into the oil. To achieve the steaming function, a steamer plate is slid in position inside the vertical members and past a central opening in the plate which receives the turkey penetrator. Thus, while being suited for both steaming and deep frying, there is relied upon multiple components which leads to the potential difficulty of having all components available at the time of desired usage as well as undesirable assembly and disassembly requirements between usage.
As further described in the background portion of U.S. Pat. No. 5,896,810, conventional deep frying baskets generally have one or two handles located near the top edge of a mesh or perforated basket. U.S. Pat. No. 5,896,810, in adapting a skewering alternative to a conventional deep frying basket, points out that the conventional baskets are not appropriate for deep frying turkeys as they are often not strong enough to support a large turkey and the handles end up close to the hot oil which is dangerous in deep fat frying a turkey or the like. There is also often little peripheral room for manipulating such baskets as the stock pots are generally tall and of smaller diameter to facilitate meeting the oil level and cooker sizing requirements
The present invention comprises a cooking apparatus that is particularly well suited for deep frying heavy objects such as a whole turkey and steaming and/or boiling smaller and/or larger food items.
The present invention is also directed at facilitating the draining of cooking fluid upon completion of deep fry or boiling or the proper positioning of a cooking basket during a steaming operation. The present invention is also directed at facilitating the drainage of cooking fluid from the pot holding the oil. One embodiment of the cooking apparatus of the present invention comprises a pot with diametrically opposed exterior handles and a lid with its own lid handle. The pot is of relatively large capacity (e.g., 10 to 50 qts. or more preferably 20 to 40 qts.) making it well suited for cooking large objects such as a turkey (e.g., a 10 or more pound turkey, including a 15 or 16 pound turkey, which represents a general upper range for preferred cooking turkey sizes).
The cooking apparatus of the present invention further comprises a multi-purpose basket that is sized for reception within the above noted cooking pot, and also has a sufficiently large periphery and depth to receive a large cooking turkey as described above (e.g., basket having an 8 to 12 inch diameter received in a pot having a diameter which provides xc2xd to 2xc2xd inches of radial clearance relative to a central positioned basket and the interior surface of the cooking pot). This close radial relationship helps minimize the quantity of oil that needs to be placed in the pot to submerge the turkey.
As the basket is designed to provide for deep frying heavy objects such as a turkey (including the added weight associated with post cooking absorption of cooking oil) it is preferably formed of unitary metal structure with apertures formed therein and preferably not of low load wire or metal rod screen or mesh arrangements such as in conventional indoor deep fat fryers. Because of the heavy load possibility the basket is formed of relatively thick aluminum (e.g., at least 1.0 mm thick) material. To maintain sufficient strength there is a greater percentage of solid surface than open surface in the areas where apertures are provided. For example, 0.3 to 0.7 inch diameter holes with 0.7 to 1.5 inch minimum spacing between holes. A series of 0.5 inch holes with 0.9 inch minimum spacing covering all surfaces of the basket provides a good high strength/drain-steam arrangement.
The basket has a side wall that is of sufficient height to adequately retain a large turkey in position within the basket despite the turbulent effects of deep fat frying. For example, a height sufficient to extend to or past at least half the lower half of a large vertically oriented turkey in the basket (e.g., 6 to 16 inches) with a height ratio range of 2:8 to 5:8 relative to the cooking pot. A basket height as indicated is also well suited for steaming typical quantities of seafood such as clams and mussels. A basket height (main body) of about 7 to 10 inches which is sufficient to extend to between the ⅔ turkey height to the top of an average height large vertically oriented turkey, is a preferred basket height range for the present invention).
The basket also includes its own handle structure. In one embodiment of the invention, the handle structure includes a unitary U-shaped bailing handle having its free ends either pivotably or rigidly attached to an upper edge region of the basket. The height of the handle above the main body of the basket is preferably less than the height of the upper edge of the cooking pot relative to the upper edge of the main body. The free ends of the bailing handle are preferably permanently secured to the basket to avoid inadvertent (manual) detachment (e.g. a sufficiently closed loop arrangement or permanent weld or bulbous captured end). The bailing handle has a capture receptor in an upper region for facilitating placement and location of a grasping handle relative to the bailing handle structure. In one embodiment the capture recess is a centralized V-shaped or C-shaped bend region designed for facilitating a grasping hook capture relationship when using a unitary bailing handle. In another embodiment, the handle structure comprises a pair of upstanding (e.g. vertical) bars rigidly fixed to the basket""s main body. Engagement means such as loops are provided at the free end of the diametrically opposed pair of upstanding bars. For this embodiment, the grasping handle comprises a U-shaped dual extension grasping hook arrangement which places two vertical hook extensions at the same diametrical spacing as the loops provided at the free ends of the upstanding bars.
The basket further comprises at least one drain/steamer capture device which comprises a hook or clamp arrangement supported on the upper edge of the main body of the basket (e.g., within the upper half of a basket side wall) and preferably with at least one capture device within the upper 20% of the basket""s height. The drain/steamer capture device is preferably arranged 90xc2x0 peripherally (e.g. circumferentially for a round basket) offset relative to a line extending through the bailing handle engagement points with the basket. The drain/steamer capture device is designed for providing a supporting/non-slide off relationship relative to the higher height cooking pot, which relationship can be established upon lifting the basket with the engaged grasp handle/bailing handle combination. The apertures in the basket are sufficient in number and placement to allow fluid drain off upon lifting the basket above an upper height of the cooking fluid (e.g., water or cooking oil) and steam entry. Apertures provided over the bottom and at least the lower half-height of the basket is preferred, with a full height extension of the holes over all the exposed area of the basket being more preferred. The holes are separated by sufficient material to provide the above noted high load capability (e.g. 20 lbs. or more) without material deflection.
The above noted generally transverse (70-100xc2x0 offset) peripheral offset between the bailing handle engagement points and drain/steam capture device provides a desirable grasping/visibility relationship that allows for rapid lift up and side shift placement of the basket with drain/steam capture device. Also, the drain/steam capture device preferably has a pot rim capture width that provides for a minor tilting (1-25xc2x0) in the bottom edge of the basket to facilitating drain off of cooking fluid. This tilting also provides for the bottom edge of a basket to come in contact with an interior side wall of the preferred size pot for added stability (in conjunction with the capture device).
In an alternate embodiment of the invention the capture device has two (or more) capture devices with a second preferably diametrically opposed to the first end at a different height than the first. For example, if the first is within the top 20% of the basket, the second is placed within the top 50% and lower (from the basket""s top edge) than the first. This provides added versatility to accommodate for different relative height spacing between the top of the cooking fluid and top of the pot. This also provides for added versatility as to accommodate different size pots (e.g., a 40 quart pot would have a different cooking fluid level to top of pot height value than a 30 quart pot of similar diameter).
In a first embodiment of the device the capture device is a monolithic drain and steamer hook device featuring a curved back wall secured (e.g., welded) to an upper external region of the perforated basket. The capture device further includes a pot upper edge contact portion that extends out radially away from the basket for a distance sufficiently to clear the thickness of the upper edge of (e.g., upper edge bead) the cooking pot and, more preferably, sufficient to provide the tilting relationship described above. To prevent the sliding off of the basket once placed into support contact with the upper edge of the cooking pot, a non-horizontal segment extends down from the radial outer end of the pot upper edge contact portion. The downwardly extending component has an interior surface and at least part of that interior surface contacts the upper edge of the pot as the basket tilts into contact position. There is also preferably a curvature in the downwardly extending component corresponding to the curvature of the back wall of the capture device (and also the basket""s).
The capture device is formed of a sufficiently strong enough material (e.g. a steel material or aluminum material at least as thick as the basket""s main body) relative to its configuration to fully support a basket containing a large turkey (e.g., 15 to 20 or more pounds either in a pre-cooked state or a post-cooked state with absorbed cooking oil).
In one embodiment the capture device is a monolithic drain and steamer hook device featuring a curved back wall and, extending off of the common back wall, a first capture hook segment featuring an upper (e.g., horizontal) segment for contact with the upper edge of the pot receiving the basket and a pair of second capture hook segments that are less horizontal than the first and designed to prevent a slide off situation with respect to the first capture hook segment. The second capture hook segments are also preferably vertically oriented when in use or oblique (preferably in toward the pot""s outer wall with enough clearance to receive the upper edge region of the pot or of less clearance with an outward curved bottom region for allowing an initial snap fit relationship relative to the top head of the pot). The first capture hook segment interlinks the second capture hook section along a base region of the same so as to define a border region of a notch formed between the two first capture hook segments. This arrangement is advantageous in that it provides good curved pot upper edge conformance and avoids basket rocking, while facilitating manufacture of the drain and steam hook. That is, a single piece can be bent or formed to define the entire drain and steamer hook device and then secured and the capture hook segments readily conform to the curvature of the pot upon a bending of the back wall (i.e., upon a bending of the back wall the capture hook segments further separate outward relative to the central notch to go from a transverse to straight back wall to a transverse to the basket""s curvature tangent relationship). In other words, due to a circumferential reconfiguring of the back wall to conform to the curvature of the basket main body, the second hook capture segments also assume a curvature by separating apart in the notch region to achieve a desired level of conformance to the curvature of the basket.
Preferably the capture hook segments are arranged such that the upper edge or curved bead of the pot comes in flush contact with the interior surface of the second hook capture segments. For instance, contact within a region extending from a central region of the interior surface of the second hook capture segments to the interior edge region of the second hook capture segments defining the notch there between. In this way capture device function as locking means in that they attach/conform to the upper edge of the pot in circumferentially spaced apart fashion to prevent not only radial sliding off but rocking of the basket in view of the above noted clamping point contact arrangement. By providing sufficient radial clearance between the first capture hook segment and thickness of the pots"" upper edge, a tilting of the basket can be achieved to place the bottom edge of the basket in contact with the pot further enhances stability. The slot or notch extends between the interior side edges of the second capture hook segments as well as partially (e.g., 50% to 85% of the thickness) into the first capture hook segment to facilitate connection conformance during capture device attachment.
A preferred method of the present invention for forming the capture device is to form a cutout in a planar plate and then subjecting the cut plate to a die clamping operation. The bent plate is then bent to conform to the curvature of the basket either during or prior to a fastening operation (e.g. a welding operation).
In an alternate embodiment, the capture hook arrangement is different in that two independent capture hooks are involved with each having their own upper capture hook segment and the bent radially farthest out capture hook segment extending down. The individual capture hook segments are circumferentially spread apart (e.g., within a 4 inch end to end circumferential spacing) in similar fashion to the above described capture hook segments and have a similar radial extension for the first capture hook segments to provide the above noted clamp and lock function between the pair of independent capture hooks and the upper circumference of the pot. They are however less desirable from the above described embodiment due to increased component and manufacturing requirements.
The capture device thus provides a secure location for placement of a basket with a heavy load into supporting contact with the pot above the top level of the cooking fluid so the cooking fluid can drain before final removal of the cooked food. In addition, the capture device is multi-functional in that it also provides a steamer hook which allows the basket to be supported above a lower level of steam source cooking fluid.